Water Well Owners: Don’t Get Left High And Dry During Drought

The heat wave that has swept across the state has taken a toll on many water wells in Texas, which were already affected by extended drought conditions.

When freezing temperatures are approaching a common practice is to leave a faucet trickling. This is true for urban areas but for well systems a much higher flow is needed. If the booster pump is exposed to the elements you will need to be pushing 5-7 gallons per minute (gpm) through the system. A common practice to save water is to run a garden hose back to the storage tank to save water. If the booster pump is inside an enclosure, the flow rate can be reduced to 2-3 gpm. For systems not using a booster pump and storage system where the water comes directly inside the house the flow rate should be approximately 1 gpm utilizing several sinks, especially those along the outside walls.